Maltose CAS 69-79-4

Maltose, often called “maltose Chinese” in China, is a nutritious, affordable food that animals digest and metabolize easily. Commonly used as a sweetener, it serves as both an ingredient and binding agent in traditional treats like fried rice candy and sesame candy. Additionally, it provides a useful sugar alternative for diabetics.

In Chinese medicine, maltose Chinese is believed to have warming properties, offering benefits that include boosting energy, strengthening the spleen, supporting digestion, and soothing the lungs. For instance, children with a persistent dry cough or sticky phlegm can benefit from a drink made by combining maltose and fresh red radish, which is left for a day and then dissolved in water. Moreover, those with weak digestion or mild stomach pain may find relief by mixing equal parts maltose and honey.

On a molecular level, maltose has a reducing aldehyde group, which enables it to react with silver ammonia to form a “silver mirror” or with alkaline copper hydroxide to produce a red precipitate. Under specific conditions, it can break down into two glucose molecules, making it versatile for use in biological media, polysulfide analysis, and as a colorimetric standard in analytical chemistry.

Maltose Chinese originates from malt, formed when grain softens and germinates in water. It also appears in products made from partially hydrolyzed starch, such as maltodextrin, corn syrup, and acid-thinned starch.